Process and a device for shortening the time used in removing the debris off the track on driving headings



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PRDCESS AND A DEVICE ron SHORTENING we TIME USED IN REMOVING THE DEBRISOFF THE TRACK 0N omvms HEADINGS.

APPLICATION HLYED Hi8- 24, I920- InvenZOr;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HUGUENIN, OE ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS AND A. DEVICE FOR SHORTENING THE TIME USED IN REMOVING THEIDEBRIS OFF THE TRACK ON DRIVING HEADINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Application filed February 24., 1920. Serial No. 360,900.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT I-IUGUENIN, acitizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zurich,Schappistrasse 18, Switzerland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Processes and Devices for Shortening the Time Used inRemoving the Debris Off the Track on Driving Headings; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

In driving headings three periods can be distipguished in the work atthe working fac 20 /(l) the period of drilling the bore-holes,

f, (2. of loading and fixing and (3 of removing the debris of blastingdn[order to start again this cycle with drilling bore holes into the newface. 2 It is generally known that removing the debris takes up muchtime and that this work delays the advance in driving a head ing. In thecase of long tunnels, for instance on railways crossing the Alps, thetime of completing the advance heading is of the greatest importance forthe comple tion and the costs of the whole tunnel. A great progress isattained if the loss of time resulting from the removing of the debriscan be reduced considerably. Various proposals have been made to thatview, for in stance removing the debris hydraulically as tried in theconstruction of the Simplontunnel. Powerful hydraulic jets were set towork at the working face at the moment of the ignition of the blastingcharges for the purpose of spreading the debris by means of the impactof the water jets over a comparatively great length of the heading andof attaining thereby a corresponding reduction of the thickness of thelayer of the debris. Such a thin layer reduces the time for clearing thetrack from the debris considerably and the rock-boring machine can beset to start work at the new working face comparatively soon after theblasting has taken place. This proposal did, however, not come up to theexpectations.

The object of the present invention consists in covering that part ofthe track immediately behind the working face by means of cover platesadapted to be brought into such an inclination that the debris piled upon the top of the plates by the explosive action of the blasts glide offthem to the sides of the track. In this way the track is cleared atonce, the debris lying at the sides of the track enabling therock-boring machine to be brought up and to start work without anyfurther interruption. The removal of the debris may be carried out whilethe rook-boring machine works.

Another advantage is gained by covering the track with the cover plates.It is a well known fact that the firing of the blasting charges producesa considerable quantity of explosive gases, which must be carried awayin long headings by artificial ventilation be fore the workmen are ableto take up work again at the face. In shorter headings, which areprovided with side adits and in which an artificial ventilation is notinstalled, the workmen must wait for the gases to be carried away by thenatural draft. The artificial ventilation can only be effected byleading pipes to the working face which supply fresh air at a certainrate, the noxious air fiowing back through the whole cross-section ofthe heading. It is not possible to bring the ventilation pipe which isnormally of a very large diameter on account of the small surpluspressure of the air, to a closer distance to the working face than 80 to100 m., because the pipes are likely to be damaged by the debris.

Coverlng the tracks by means of plates allows of conducting aventilation pipe line close up to the working face as it is protected bysaid plates against the damaging effects of the debris. It is evident,that the pipes must be of small diameters conducting air compressed toa'high pressure. During the ignition of the blasts a powerful air-jetmay be caused to flow from the working face backward along the heading,which rarefies the noxious gases considerably and carries them awayquickly.

The process constitutes thus a remarkable progress in shortening thetime of the removal of the debris of the track.

A convenient mode of carrying the invention into effect is shown on theaccompanyin drawing. In this drawing:

%igure 1 is a vertical section along line II of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 2 is a plan of the covering device, the cover plates being brokenaway in the lower half of the figure.

Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is partly a side view and partly a section along line IVIV ofFig. 2.

A number of pairs of cover plates 1 and 2 are arranged in successionabove the rails 5 of the track which are normally laid on Woodensleepers 6 which plates completely cover the track. The length of thecovered part depends on the explosive action of the blasts. The twocover plates constituting a pair overla one the other and further eachpair of plates overlaps the adjoinlng pair in the direction of thetrack. The body of the plates is preferably made of sheet iron,strengthened by means of ribs 3 made of profile iron or such like. Thecover plates 1 and 2 are loosely placed on strong cylindrical rods 4arranged outside the rails and held in position by brackets 7 screwed tothe sleepers. The plates 1 and 2 rest by means of pillow blocks 8 onsaid rods, the blocks being fixed to the plates. The connection ofblocks and rods allows of a swiveling movement of the plates around rods1 and of a displacement in the direction of the rods.

Each pair of plates 1 and 2 is connected by tie rods 9 and 10 providedwith opposite thread to a worm wheel 11 the boss of which acts as a nutfor the two tie rods. The worm wheel 11 is actuated by a worm 12engaging the worm wheel at the top. The casing of the worm drive 11, 12is connected by means of a hinged part 13 to a base plate 14 fixed to asleeper.

Each worm is driven by a shaft 15, rovided on one side of the casingwith a ardan-coupling 16 with which an intermediate hollow shaft 17 isconnected. The connection of the intermediate shaft to the shaft end ofthe next worm drive is carried out b telescoping said end into thehollow shaft 17 which connection allows a gliding of one shaft in theother but no turning of the shafts against each other. All the worms areconnected by these shafts 15 and 17 forming together a complete line ofshafting, by which all the pairs of plates can be actuatedsimultaneously. Another shaft 18 connects the end of said line ofshafting by means of another Cardan-coupling 19 to a motor 20, whichconsists in most cases of an electro-motor.

A pipe conduit 21 arranged below the cover plates serves for conductingcompressed air close up to the working face; it is provided with nozzles22.

The cover plates are clad with interchangeable wooden laths 23 forprotecting the plates against the shocks and impacts of the debris.

The manner of working the described device is as follows:

The track immediately behind the work ing face is covered by means ofthe cover plates 1, 2, then the blasting charges are ignited and astrong current of compressed air introduced by means of conduit 21,Whereafter the motor is actuated.

The worm drives 11, 12 actuated by the line of shafting 15, 17 cause thescrewing of each pair of the tie rods 9 and 10 into the boss of wormwheel 11 by which action the cover plates are raised into the uprightposition (shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines) in swiveling around the rods4 as fulcrum. The debris roll off the plates to both sides of the trackduring this movement of the plates.

The points 24 where the tie rods are connected to the plates and theworm wheels are vertically displaced during the swiveling motion of theplates, the worms 12 and the shafts 15, 17 partake in that verticalmovement, to which efiect the casing of the worm drive is hinged to thesleeper, thus the engagement of the constituent parts of the drive ispermanently insured.

I claim:

1. The process, which comprises covering the part of the trackimmediately behind the working face by cover plates before igniting thecharges, and clearing the track by bringing the plates into such aninclination, that the debris piled up on the plates by the explosivecharges glide off said plates to the sides of the track, thereb allowingthe rock-boring machine to be rought up to the face and to continue workalmost immediately after the blasting.

2. The process, which comprises covering the part of the trackimmediatel behind the working face by cover plates be ore igniting thecharges, forcing a strong air jet against the working face from a pipeprotected by these cover plates for the purpose of carrying away thenoxious gases, and clearing the track by bringing the plates into suchan inclination that the debris piled up on the plates by the explosivecharges glide off said plates to the sides of the track thereby allowingthe rock boring machine to be brought up to the face and to continuework almost immediately after the blasting.

3. A device for removing the debris off the track when constructingheadin s, comprising cover plates for covering t e part of the trackimmediately behind the working face, and means for effecting such aninclination. of said plates that the debris piled up on them by theexplosion of the charges glide off said plates aside the track.

4:. A device for removing the debris off the track when constructingheadings, comprising cover plates that overlap each other in thedirection of the heading as well as transversely to it, for covering thepart of the track immediately behind the working face and means foreffecting simultaneously such an inclination of all said. plates thatthe debris piled up on them by the explosion of the charges glide offsaid plates aside the track, said means being operated by a commondriving agent.

5. A device for removing the debris off the track when constructingheadings, comprising cover plates for covering the part of the trackimmediately behind the working face and at the same time coveringconduits for conducting compressed air close up to the working face, andmeans for effecting such an inclination of said plates that the debrispiled up on-them by the explosion gases of the charges glide off saidplates aside the track.

6. A device for removing debris off a track when constructing headings,which comprises pivoting means along the track, folding track coversmounted on said pivoting means, and means beneath the covers when foldedfor operating said covers.

7. A device for removing debris off a track when. constructing headingscomprising hinged covers for the track over-lapping at their edges, anoperating device between the track rails, means connecting the hingedcovers and operating device, means for mounting said operating device topermit automatic vertical adjustment thereof during the operation ofsaid covers.

8. In. a device for removing debris off a track when constructingheadings which comprises over-lapping covers hinged at each side of thetrack and operating means for the covers, said operating means capableof sliding longitudinallyof the track.

9. In a device for removing debris off a track when constructingheadings, bars outside of the track and substantially parallel thereto,covers arranged to pivot and slide on said bars, operating rods pivotedat one end to said covers and having their other ends threaded, wormwheels and operating worms both mounted to move vertically between thetrack rails, said worm wheels having lateral threaded extensionsengaging the threaded ends of pairs of said rods, a shaft section foreach worm having at one end an articulated sliding shaft member forsliding engagement with the next adjacent shaft section and means fordriving connected sections.

10. In a device for removing debris off a track comprising pairs ofpivoted covers overlapping over the track the covers of one pairoverlapping the edges of the next adjacent pair, and means between thetrack rails, to swing the covers on. their pivots from the track todischarge debris to the side to the track clear of the rails.

I11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name.

ALBERT HUGUENIN.

